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trufted that the claim would be acceded to, founded as it was in juftice.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer obferved that an hon. Member oppofite (Mr. Sheridan) laboured under fome mifapprehenfion as to the eight fhips which were mentioned in the report, but were never brought into an English harbour. The fact was, that these ships had born the English flag, and had been, employed in the Mediterranean during part of the year 1793. At the time the other fhips were destroyed by our fleet, thefe eight veffels were deftroyed by the batteries of the enemy. Under thefe circumstances they had been included in the general account; but he thought it neceffary to mention, that the whole fum charged for them was not much above feven thousand pounds As to the application of the money, he wished the Houfe to understand that the whole fum would not be iffued in the first instance. It was meant that only fuch a fum fhould be issued as was fufficient for meeting the demands made out by principals or their relatives. The rest of the fum voted would remain in the hands of the treafury till wanted. He had only further to add, that the prefent measure was one folely originating with thofe now prefiding over his Majefty's Government. As far as Lord Hood was concerned, every thing was done in the face of day; and whatever blame attached to the measure refted entirely with Minifters. He refifted any further delay as quite unneceffary.

Mr. Bankes fupported the grant generally, but was against giving any allowance for the eight thips which had been referred to, or indeed for any other part of the estimates which was not fully made out to the fatisfaction of the House.

Mr. Johnftone denied that Lord Hood had it in his power to have taken the French fleet at Toulon, which was got poffeffion of folely by a capitulation with the inhabitants of the town. He did not admit that there was any thing on the part of Lord Hood which entitled him to fo large a remuneration as thirty thousand pounds, particularly at a moment when our annual expenditure exceeded fifty millions. He declared that he could not, on the grounds alleged, agree to the grant which had paffed the Committee.

Mr. Alexander fupported the grant, on the grounds of equity, policy, and expediency.

Mr. Burroughs was in favour of the refolution; the proceedings adverted to were part of the fyftem of warfare, and furely,

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it was not for that reafon the noble Admiral fhould lose the right which attached to him in that capacity. On principles of public juftice, he concurred with the arguments of the right hon. and learned Gentleman on the floor; it was clear in point of law, that the King's prerogative attached to fuch captures as thofe under confideration; nay, under fuch circumftances, the King might make a grant of them by his own authority; but Minifters coming to Parliament as they had done, were highly deferving of approbation.

Dr. Laurence argued in fupport of the amendment. He at firit adverted to the magnitude of the fum. He asked when it was that due reward was not given to those who merited it, in the way in which the noble Admiral did? He was ready to agree as to the King's right of granting, in fuch a cafe, by virtue of his prerogative; but the cafe brought before Parliament as it was, they thould have fome better ground to go upon than a report of the Privy Council. He claimed as a member of Parliament, that fome means thould be given of exercising their judgment upon that which they were called upon to grant. He could refer to every cafe which occurred from the reign of Queen Anne downwards. It was unneceffary to have adverted to the repeated votes of thanks by that Houfe to the noble Lord in question. He duly appreciated his meritorious conduct on the occafion; the more fo, as he, in a great degree, proceeded upon his own refponfibility. The words of the Privy Council were, that fome due rewards fhould be given; but if Parliament were to apportion those, some means fhould be afforded them of judging what was proper. In this inftance there was certainly a claim to equitable reward, and he wished it might appear on the face of the thing. He was averse to a general Sweeping grant. He objected to the prefent mode of proceeding, at the fame time he confidered this affair as by no means a perfonal ministerial queftion; neither had it any concern with the late Administration. He believed it refulte f from an application to the equity of the Crown, &c. as being originally grounded in no ftrict legal right.

The Attorney General obferved, that in fuch a cafe, the King, by his prerogative, might have given the thips in the first inftance to the captors; but in confequence of the mode of proceeding which it was deemed proper to adopt, the valie thereof was propofed to be given. Under the circumstances of this cafe, it was a matter of indifference, whether the poffeffion was achieved by capture or not, as it was of that

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nature that was not distributable under the prize act, fo that no right vested in the captor. He knew of no infiançe fince the reign of Queen Anne, where a liberal remuneration had not been given in fuch cafes. In the present a number of years, 11 or 12, had elapfed fince the event, and the King, in his munificence and liberality, was pleafed to make a grant of the whole. All the circumftances were under the confideration of the Crown, and it was the royal decifion that the whole fhould be granted.

The queftion being called for, the fame was put, on which the amendment was negatived; and the refolution of the Committee of Supply, that a fum not exceeding 265,3561. be granted, &c. was formally ratified by the Houfe.

Mr. Dent notified his intention to move on Monday fe'nnight, for leave to bring in a bill to amend the act for raifing the fum of 18 millions by way of annuity, known by the name of the loyalty loan.

The hon. Gentleman then presented a petition from certain barley growers in the county of Lincoln; which was ordered to lie on the table.

Adjourned till Thursday next.

HOUSE OF LORD S.

THURSDAY, APRIL 5.

The Earl of Weftmeath, one of the Irish representative Peers, and Lord Grey de Howie, were fworn and took their feats.

Mr. Fowler, from the commiffioners of the customs, prefented an account of the balances and arrears due from the feveral collectors at the ports in England, on the 5th of Janury laft, as far as the fanie could be made up. Ordered to lie on the table.

The bills upon the table were forwarded in their refpective stages.

The order for committing the Scotch bank bill was dif charged, and renewed for the next day.

The Earl of Dartmouth reported his Majefty's answer to a recent addrefs of their Lordships, respecting the production of certain papers, the effect. of which was, that his Majefty would give directions accordingly.

VOLUNTEER REGULATIONS BILL.

The order of the day being read, for the House to rc-` folve itself into a Committee upon this bill,

Lord Grenville obferved, that with refpect to a very important fubject, forming a part of the prefent. bill, and' which had undergone fonic difcuffion previous to the recefs, namely the prerogative of his Majefty to call out the po-' pulation of the country, it was not his intention to offer any obfervations upon it in the Committee, as he proposed on a future day to bring in a bill upon the subject.

Their Lordfhips then went into a Committee upon the bill, Lord Wallingham in the chair.

The confideration of the preamble being poftponed, the Committee proceeded to difcufs the claufes and provifions of the bill, and feveral amendments were propofed by Lord Grenville. One of thefe related to the exemptions. The noble Lord obferved, i fhould be clear and explicit, how far the exemptions, in certain cafes, were meant to be extended. This was by no means the cafe, as the bill then food; as, to qualify for thefe, it was neceffary that returns of certain attendances at exercife, &c. fhould be made at three diftin&t periods of the year: the first of thote was on or before the ift of January in each year, and the last was on the 21ft of September. How a return could be made before the 1ft of January in each year, was to him inexplicable, yet fo it was provided in the bill; and with refpect to thofe volunteers who did not attend the days of exercife, &c. until after the 21st of September, as numbers of the working people could not, on account of the harveft, or other neceffary occupations, great doubts obtained as the law at prefent food. With a view to obviate thefe doubts, and to place that part of the meafure under fome fyftematic regulation, he moved an amendment to the effect, that no volunteers included in the returns made between the 1ft of May 1803, and the 1ft of May 1804, fhould be liable to any ballot which took place before the ift of August 1804.

Lord Hawkesbury obferved, that what fell from the noble Lord chiefly referred to the principle of the bill, and not to any part which could regularly fall under the confideration of a Committee. The operation of the bill was for the most part profpective; its object was to repeal the exifting acts upon the fubject; and to provide a fyftem for the future regulation of the volunteer corps. He dilapproved of the noble Lord's amendment.

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Lord Harrowby made fome obfervations upon what he confidered as the total want of fyftem or confiftency in the conduct of Minifters with refpect to the volunteer corps, and adverted to certain parts of the bill in illuftration of his pofition.

Lord King fupported what had fallen from Lord Gren ville upon the fubject.

The Lord Chancellor vindicated the conduct of Government upon the fubject in queftion. The noble Lord alfo took occafion to vindicate the conduct of the law officers of the Crown, with refpect to the opinions given, &c. and with which undue licence had been taken; he did not mean in parliamentary debates, but in pamphlets, and other modes of public difcuffion, where thefe refpectable Gentlemen had not an opportunity of defending themselves. He thought this rather hard. He obferved, that on the occafion alluded to, the former courfe of practice had been followed. They fhould confider the impracticability of framing an act fo as to meet every poffible cafe, and to obviate every contingent difficulty. He remarked upon the far greater facility to find fault than to amend.

Lords Grenville and Harrowby fpoke in explanation, and feverally difclaimed an intention in what they had faid, to reflect in the flightest degree upon his Majefty's prefent law officers the latter Peer profeffed the warmest perfonal friendship for the learned Attorney General.

Lord Hawkesbury thought the courfe adopted with refpect to taking the opinion of his Majefty's law officers, as to the conftruction of the acts, was preferable to promulgating what might be the interpretation of Minifters thereof, and much more fatisfactory to individuals.

The amendment propofed by Lord Grenville was negatived.

On the clause which went to authorize his Majefty to accept the fervices of additional corps of yeomanry or volunteers, a difcuffion took place.

Lord Grenville contended for the impolicy, in the prefent ⚫ circumstances of the country, of increafing the number of volunteer corps, or of the number of men to which they now actually amount. He thought, fo far from entertaining an idea of increafing the number of corps, a provifion fhould be made for incorporating fmaller bodies, fo as to render the force in general more fufceptible of fyftematic regulation. Under thefe impreffions he propofed the omiffion of the words in the claufe which enacted as above.

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